CSUDH President's Office - Lyons (James) Papers

James E. Lyons, Sr. (1943– ) is an American academic administrator whose career spans over fifty years in higher education leadership. Born and raised in a public housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, Lyons earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Connecticut, later completing postdoctoral study at Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management. He began his career as a tutor counselor at the Rodman Job Corps Center in Massachusetts, served in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, and directed the Conscience Educational Day Camp at Temple University. At the University of Connecticut, he became the first director of the Afro-American Cultural Center and served as Assistant Dean of Men before holding administrative positions at Kentucky State University, Fayetteville State University, Barber–Scotia College, and Delaware State University.

Lyons went on to serve as president of Bowie State University (1983–1992), Jackson State University (1992–1999), and California State University, Dominguez Hills (1999–2007), where he expanded academic programs and oversaw construction of the $150 million Home Depot sports complex. He later served as Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (2007–2010) and interim president of Dillard University, the University of the District of Columbia, and Concordia College Alabama. Lyons is recognized as one of the first university presidents to have led both historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). In 2025, he published From the Projects to the Presidencies: My Journey to Higher Education Leadership, a memoir recounting his journey from New Haven’s public housing to university leadership, highlighting the barriers he overcame and the mentors who supported his career.